Toy submarine



A. C. GILBERT.

TOY SUBMARINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3l |918.

1,35 1,565, Patented Aug. 31, 1920. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IlIlillllllll||l\|lllllllIIIIIIIIIIllilllllllIlllllllIl;l 45/ 4% 426/ 6 33 66 A. C. GILBERT.

TOY SUBMARINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, 1918.

l 3 5 l 565 Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

45 f is an'chored to adisk 34:, which disk' is rigidly The rudders are preferably formed of thin inetalhaving laterally bent portions to form holes, through which the shaft 2l is inserted, in order toretain the rudders in place upon mounted onthis shaft upon each side of the` hull between the same and the rudder, the

- arrangement being such that the rudders 2O may be clamped in any desired plane by simply tightening the-nut 23 upon the shaft y -2l. A steeringrudder 25 is mounted upon Vmeans 'permits the'rudder to be clamped4 thehull underneath the same and somewhat tothe rear of the longitudinal center of the same. Vably secured to the underneath Vportion .of

the hull by means of a's'crew 2G, a washer 2"? n in Fig. 2. The opposite end 41 of this This rudder is preferably adjustbeing mounted upon the screw between the hull and the rudder; This simple-securing upon the hull atv any desired angle to the Same.

The spring operated propelling means is secured to and' supported from .they under face ofV-tliewooden block l0, which forms the upper portion of the hull.

Y face 'of this member l0 is secured .a substansupporting the .winding shaft. 3l.

tiallyKU-shaped frame 28, the saine Vbeing preferably secured tothe* lower face ofthe member l0 by screws such as 29. This frame r28 formsa bracket for rotatably supporting the propeller operating shaft 30, upon the' Vbent torform'a crank handle 32, by means of whichlthe shaft may be rotated to ivind the helicalv operating spring This vspring i 33'surrounds'the shaft'3l and is` positioned within the frame 28. One end of thisspring i secured to the shaft 31,*and the other end of this spring Vis secured tothe large gear wheel '36, which isloosely mounted upon thel shaft Y `'31. A Washer 35 is preferably provided be-v :tween the gear wheel 36 and the rear end .of

the frame 28. Y A spool orwtubular memberV (not shown) preferably mounted about the shaftj 31 withinthe spring 33 and is rigidly secured to the .disk 34, this spool servf' ing to lill upthe space between the shaft and the interior of the spring 33 to keep the coils of the spring in alinement.V The gear wheel 36 mesheswith a pinion Srigidly secured to the shaft 30. One face 'of this pinion abuts against the rearend of the frame 28 and holds the shaft 30 against longitudinal movement in one direction, and this shaft is preferably prevented from moving longitudi-nally vin the opposite direction by a set- To the lower up portion such 39, formed upon the shaft.

In order to provide means for preventing the shaft 3l from rotating in the reverse direction as the same yis rotated to4 wind the spring V33, I provide a cam wheel 40, which is rigidly mounted upon this shaft and which of a relatively long, narr V sheet metal strip having one end ll"secured to the under face of the member l0 by one or more screws such as 41a. The intermediate portionllf of this strip is ythen bent at right angles to the portion ll/ adjacent tothe ratchet wheel llt),

the same being spaced a slight distance from the under face ofthe member l0, as shown long, narrow strip is bent atright` angles to the intermediate portion and extends vwardly through a drill hole l2 extending vertically'through the member l0 and-intothe.V

socket 17 Vabove mentioned. The `outer end of this flexible strip is'positioned to engage a circumferential groove43 formed. aoout the rear end of the torpedo 19. Theforward end of the winding shaft 32 is 'preferably provided with a bearing bracket da, .whichf is secured to the under face of the member i0 by a screw .45. s In order'to provide means for preventing the propeller from being rotated by its springuntil it is desired to operate the saine,I provide a latch' member d6, pivotally secured to the'undei' face ofthe member l() by a screw 47. l This latch meinber is preferably provided with legs extonding at right angles to each other, one l 46 Y .0, '4 being positioned `to be moved into `and `out ofV engagement With the gear wheel 36 'to hold the same-against, rotation, and the other leg 46 being positioned to project through-'an opening in the Yside yofthe hull, in order that Y the Same may be manually engaged to operate the latchzmember. The operation of my device is as follows:

When it is desired to use my toy submarine,

.the spring 33=is4 placedV under tension by rotating the .crank handle 32. This rotates vthe .end of the spring 33-which is attached to the disk 34 rigidly mounted uponthe shaft 3l, the other end yof the spring beingV held against rotation since it is secured to the .gear wheel'flooselymounted on its shaft, -whi'chgearwheel itldo'gged against rotationr by the latch member .46. As the shaft 43l is rotated to wind the spring, they cam wheel l0 rigidly secured to this shaft will engage the portionil of the .flexible strip di, thus preventing this shaft from rotating in the reverse direction. The engagement betweenV Y theratchet wheel 40 andthe cooperating -pawl al, however, serves another impor-Y tant function, sincel the pressure exertedl upon this member' 41"by the ratchet wheel 40 forces the outer end ef'the porti-on 41 inte engagement with the groove '413 formed in the rear end 'Y against the tension of the spring '18.V When my toy submarine is placed in the water preparatory to sailing the same, after the 83 has been placed under'tension and spring g Y Y been placedy in the after the torpedo 19 has bei' 46 is disengaged from thegear wheel 36 .upon the by ineansof the protruding end 4G, wherepropeller shaft 30 is rotated :to operate 'the screw propeller '30 and thereby propel the toy submarine through the water. p'

lerated propeller, means forl projecting. a

crease until this pressure ceases to be suiiicient to retain the outer end of the strip 11f n in engagement with the torpedo 19, whereupon the torpedo is released and is shot forward by the compressed spring 18. ln other words, the torpedo is retained in its socket while the torpedo boat is vbeing propelled through the water by the screw propeller, but when the energy of the spring is spent, the strip 11 will be disengaged from the tor# pedo 19, due to the resiliency of this strip, which tends to withdraw the outer end of the same from engagement'with the torpedo, whereupon the tor edo is discharged from the torpedo boat. n Fig. 5 of the drawing, have shown the ieXible strip 41 in full lines as disengaged from the torpedo, and have indicated in dotted lines the position this. spring occupies when forced into en-V gagement with the torpedo 19 bythe reaction of the spring 33 through the cam wheel 10.

lf it is desirable te make my toy subma-i rine submerge, all that is necessary isito tilt the diving rudders 2.0, so that their fornot only Vvto preventthe winding shaft 31 from rotating in the reverse direction, but also provides means for releasing a torpedo 19, in order that the same will be fired from the torpedo boat when theenergy of the operating spring is spent. Y

The exterior metal portions of the device are covered with a suitable paint to prevent rusting, and as the spring mechanism Vcontained within the hull will become wet when the toy is used, it vshould be well oiled, so

of the torpedoA 19, so that this tails of the construction without departing torpedo is retained within the Ysocket 17 f i What I claim is: *l

that in Ithis case also there will be no rusting ofmetallic parts. y j

VVarious, changes may be made inthe defrom the scope'of the invention.

1. A toy submarine, having a hull, a deck upon said hull, y'said deck having a torpedoreceiving ,opening in l one "end thereof, a., spring' operated propeller for saidwsubma' rine, and means controlledbyj the tension' of vsaid'sjLo/ring for releasing a'torp'edo` from said torpedo-receiving opening, f vsaid 'means including ashaft Y underptension. y i. d

2.1%. toy submarine,having a 'spring-optorpedo from said submarine, Aand ine'an'sincluding a detent andcoperating cainli'vheel'y controlled bythe reaction ofsaidspring for retaining said torpedo Vin position, said for placing` vsaidl spring VAso operative engagement with said element by the reaction of said spring, and automati#l cally disengaged fromsaid element as the energy of said spring is spent. Y

4l. In a device of the class described, a spring-operatedshaft, a detent for holding element against movement, means normally. V'retaining said .de-tent'v out of engagesaid shaft actuated by the reaction of said shaft-operating spring to .retain saiddetent -v n in operative engagement with said element,

whereby said element is automaticlly released as the energy of said spring is spent. 5 .KIn a -device'of the class described, a springeoperated shaft, means including a detent and cam wheel controlled byV Vsaidv operating spring to hold an element against movement, said means being forced into engagement with said element when said spring is placed under tension and released from said element when the energy of said spring is spent, whereby said element is automatically released as said lspring un# winds.

l 6.V In a toy submarine, having a hull, a. deck upon said hull, said deck being prolment with said element, and meansl upon d vided with torpedo liring means, means for y retaining a torpedo position to be fired, j power means including a rotating shaft for I operating a propeller screw, a second shaft'V operatively connectedto said power means,

land' means controlled by said second shaft for automatically releasing ,said ,torpedo-retaining means. Y

7. 'In a toy submarine, havingsprngoperated propeller mechanism and spring Vmeans or'projeeting a torpedo, means for )retaining a torpedo position to be ,pro-

Vjeoted, said retaining means comprising a Y Idetent v.and a eamxwheel Cooperating therewith, said detent'beingconstructed to be` moved into operative position byvsaidpro- '4 'peller spring :when the same is placed under vtension .and moved to inoperative position as the energy of said v`propeller spring is ated means for operating a screw propeller,

a 'crank shaft forrplaoing said spring unj 20 dertension, means for preventing said shaft from rotating in` an unwinding direction,

said last means being constructed to automatieally release a torpedo from said projecting means as the energy of said spring is spent.

jectingavtorpedo therefrom, spring operated Ineansfor operating a screw propeller,

la resilient'detent having a torpedo engag-V ing portion, a springoperated screw propeller operating spring connected thereto, and means upon said shaft for-'holding said detent in engagement with said torpedo,

` said means being constructed 'to autoinati- 1 :cally release said torpedoas the energy of said spring is spent.

In Witness whereof Ihave hereiinto set my hand on the 7th kday ,of May, 1918.`

' ALFRED C?. GILBERT.

. k25 9,1 In a toy submarine, Vmeans for pro- 30 peller, a shaft having one end vof the pro- 

